Monday, April 20, 2009

THE HEDONIST BEER JIVE GUIDE TO IPAs

Both celebrated and sometimes derided as the craft beer obsessive’s favorite drink, the India Pale Ale, and its kissin’ cousin the Double India Pale Ale, are the be-all and end-all when it comes to unadulterated and hedonistic celebration of hops. Though these things can get a little samey-tasting if you’re going for them all the time, when you find the crème de la crème, it’s as pleasing an experience as there is in life. No, not in beer-drinking – in life.

Here are a few that we’ve tried that have taken the Hedonist Beer Jive staff to the summit of happiness and back. If you’re shopping for IPAs or Double IPAs, and need a few to bring home this week, you’d do well to pick up a small bushel-full of these. Any questions, please let me know.

Jay - have you tried Sierra Nevada's new one 'Torpedo'? It's the bigger brother to it's green-labeled sibling weighing in at 7.2 and more hops-per-square-inch than anything from Chico. Nice list and thanks as always for your awesome blog.Uli

I am one of those rare folks that thinks Pliney the Elder is good but highly overrated; I'd say the same thing about Alpine Pure Hoppiness as well. I like Union Jack and Port Wipeout very much. The others you mention I either have not had or just flat-out don't like (Hop-15).

Fair enough. It's been a long while since my last Hop-15, maybe it's time for a refresher. But Pliny overrated? Well, it's all a matter of taste, of course. I keep going back and forth over which I prefer, Pliny the Elder or Blind Pig, but Pliny the Younger is on another level IMO.

Ya need me to send you some Founders Centennial? Seriously one of the best IPA's ever. Also, Short's finally started bottling it's beer. Their Huma-Lupa-Licious is some fine stuff and their regular pale, Pandemonium, is quite tasty too.